W.O.G. - I guess all I can come up with is that whilst you have the refuelling etc, it's still a long way there & a long way back...not a lot of missions can be run if they have to travel so far. The carrier affords frequency of missions at the very least, although I do understand your valid point.
A bit like sending "gunboat up river" perhaps....
Anyways....I don't care much for the song, but
these look nice!